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Giteau adamant he's still a Force to be reckoned with
Wayne Smith | March 20, 2009
Article from: The Australian
IF this is how Matt Giteau performs when he feels under pressure to prove himself all over again, it could get decidedly ugly for the Sharks if he just relaxes a little against the champion South African side at Subiaco Oval tomorrow night.
Ever since Giteau announced he would be returning to Canberra and the Brumbies at the end of this Super 14 campaign, he has felt the need to demonstrate to Western Force fans and even to his Force teammates that he is fully committed to seeing this season through to a successful conclusion. "Because I'm going doesn't mean I don't believe in the organisation any more and want to see it go down the drain," Giteau said yesterday. "You feel like you've got to over-prove yourself now because you're leaving. You still do want to be here and that's what I feel. I want to put as much into this organisation as I can before I leave."
It's difficult to see how Giteau could give much more than he did in the second half against the Crusaders last weekend when, seemingly single-handedly -- it wasn't of course, as he is the first to admit -- he pulled the Force out of a 6-20 hole and whipped it all the way home to a 23-all draw.
Yet the 26-year-old playmaker believes he can still do better. "I'm a lot like the side at present. There are patches when I do some good things and patches when I do some bad."
Even he isn't sure which Force will turn up at Subiaco tomorrow night -- the side that surrendered killer first-half leads to the Chiefs and Crusaders over the past fortnight, or the side that pegged them back in the second half.
Whichever side takes the field will be unrecognisable, given that the Force has abandoned its regular ocean-blue strip for this match and will play instead in shocking-pink jerseys to raise awareness and funds for the Breast Cancer Foundation of WA.
Looking very much like "Stade Francais by the sea", the Force yesterday trained in their fetching new outfits, figuring they needed to get the shock of seeing themselves in pink out of the way before match day.
"It's pretty good but it doesn't suit the forwards as much as it does the backs," said Giteau, who, along with fellow danger man Drew Mitchell, is not only letting the colour change go to his head but also to his feet. Both will play in pink boots that will be auctioned after the game to raise funds for the charity.
The Sharks will be snappy in an entirely different sense, realising they were beaten for intensity and enthusiasm by the Reds in Brisbane last week. It was, as coach John Plumtree put it, the best any side has played against the Sharks in a good while. But the Natal side will be in no mood to tolerate a repeat of that performance from the hot-and-cold Force.
Significantly, the South Africans invited former rugby league great Andrew Johns to help them in training this week -- which of itself would have suggested they are targeting Giteau were it not for the fact that Plumtree openly admitted as much.
It's all old hat to Giteau, whose game has been subjected to more scrutiny around the rugby world than any other player, save possibly Dan Carter. Certainly he is comfortable with any extra attention from the Sharks, believing that will leave holes elsewhere for the likes of Mitchell, centres Junior Pelesasa and Ryan Cross and new starting fullback James O'Connor to exploit.
Meanwhile, the Reds have decided not to appeal against the four-week suspension imposed on halfback Will Genia for his dangerous tackle on Sharks flanker Keegan Daniel last week, but have formally requested SANZAR review the consistency of its sentencing across the competition.
http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au...015651,00.html
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